Pages

Friday, September 27, 2013

Announcing ... Trifecta Books!

I'm very excited to make the formal announcement that I have started up my own publishing company, Trifecta Books!

Why Trifecta Books?

The publishing industry has changed drastically over the
last ten years, with the largest portion of that change taking place in the
last five. More readers than ever are abandoning their desire to read print
books and are instead purchasing e-books by the droves. E-books are popular
because they are less expensive, can be obtained instantly, and don’t take up
space in the reader’s home. For the price of one print book, a reader can buy
three or four e-books, and thousands of books can be stored in a device smaller
than one novel.

In addition, authors are finding traditional publishing
to be a dinosaur. Publishing houses are still offering the royalty rates of
years gone by and insisting on contracts that are blatantly unfair to the
author. They have forgotten that without the author, they have no business to
run. Consequently, more and more authors are choosing to self-publish, and that
does work out well for many of them. However, the majority never achieve the
success they seek, and they struggle to obtain good editing, eye-catching
covers, and proper marketing.

Trifecta Books, LLC has been established upon the premise
that publishing should be a partnership between the author and the publisher.
Each should have a say in the outcome of the final product. Each should reap
the rewards of the hard work that has gone into the production. Each should
feel as though the relationship is mutually beneficial, and if a time comes
when that relationship ceases to benefit both parties, the contract should be
easy to dissolve.

The goal of Trifecta is to merge the benefits of
self-publishing and the advantages of traditional publishing into one cohesive
unit. Trifecta offers competitive royalty rates, quality cover design,
meticulous editing, and targeted marketing techniques to help bring the book to
the attention of a nationwide audience. Although the main focus is on e-books
and online marketing, which is the way the majority of readers shop, we haven’t
lost sight of those readers who still prefer to hold a paper book in their
hands, and will provide print runs as well. In this way, the authors can feel
as though they are reaping the benefits of both worlds. They would have made more
money per unit had they self-published, but with the backing of a publishing
house, their chances of selling more copies and thereby making more money are
increased.

A
Disturbing Trend

There seems to be a downward spiral
in the quality of content and editing in the books being published today,
especially those written for the young adult market. It is becoming more and more difficult for teenage
readers to find material that entertains and yet edifies at the same time. Sadly,
these themes are trickling down to younger readers as well, sometimes
introducing them to content they weren’t ready for.

Vision

The idea for Trifecta Books came about as I contemplated many facets of concern in the publishing industry, some of
which were stated above but bear repeating here.

·Authors are often treated unfairly, either
through imbalanced distribution of profit or through unrealistic contractual
obligations. Without the author, the publisher has no business, and yet many
publishers do not recognize this symbiotic dependency. There are, of course, exceptions, and many fine publishing houses strive to be balanced in their contracts.

·Many publishers have turned away from a
focus on quality editing and superior content and instead are riding the waves
of fashion and fad, often sacrificing story for sensationalism. Again, there are exceptions.

·Many authors feel that there is no point in
striving for excellence because it won’t be appreciated, and so they have
allowed themselves to stop seeking to hone their craft and instead are seeking
ways to make a splash to get a publisher’s attention. Some of the authors who do seek to improve themselves can feel as though that effort is wasted.

·The moral content of the novels currently
available is declining at the same rate we see the moral tenor of the world
declining. Our teenagers are reading about darkness and extolling it as light.
They are excusing acts of immoral behavior as being normal. Their understanding
of terms like “integrity” and “honor” are being skewed by the lack of positive
role models in their media.

The vision for Trifecta is
simple—a publishing company that seeks out the best in young adult literature,
edits it well, and presents it beautifully. We need more clean young adult
literature on the market. As the company grows, we will add other arms
addressing the needs of the LDS market, children’s books, middle-grade books,
and so forth. But because the need is so great for the youth at this time, that
is where Trifecta will begin.

Trifecta
Books has already established a relationship with Brigham Distribution, the
second-largest distributor in the state of Utah. Brigham has agreed to carry
Trifecta Books’ products and represent them to bookstores locally as well as
nationwide. This includes, but is not limited to, Costco, Walmart, Barnes and
Noble, and independent bookstores everywhere. E-books
will be handled by Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.

My publishing schedule is full and I'm not accepting submissions at this time, but I will be soon. If you'd like to learn more about Trifecta, please visit the website.

I am very excited for your journey. Perhaps someday, my manuscript will be ready for you to look at! And perhaps at some point, you won't be boggle down with so many submissions and can take a look at it.